Blue Bombers girls hockey blanks Red Storm

December 21, 2012

LAKE PLACID - The Lake Placid girls hockey team got off to a quick start and finished strong in a 5-0 victory over Saranac Lake on Thursday at the Olympic Center's 1932 Rink.

The Blue Bombers scored two first-period goals and added three more in the third to improve to 2-0 in high school girls league play and 5-1 overall. Lake Placid's defense also came up with a standout effort, allowing a depleted Saranac Lake squad just seven shots on goal, including just one in the third period.

A number of Blue Bombers got in on the scoring, with junior Emily Godin and senior Kendra Manning leading the way with a pair of goals each. Manning also set up one goal, freshman Sam Barney scored once and chipped in two assists, Mia Kennedy had two assists and Carissa Kennedy added an assist.

Article Photos

Saranac Lake’s Ashley Roddy skates the puck over the center ice line between Lake Placid’s Samantha Barney, left and Brooke Reid during Thursday’s game at the Olympic Center’s 1932 Rink in Lake Placid.(Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

"We were able to keep their scoring chances down, and when they did get to the net, Tanner (Stanton) was solid in the goal," Lake Placid head coach Sandy Huber said. "We've got speed, we're solid at defense and we have a solid goalie."

One day after claiming their first win of the season, a 6-5 overtime victory at Canton, the Red Storm were unable to mount any serious pressure in Lake Placid's end of the rink. Saranac Lake was playing without three of its biggest offensive threats, Bridgit Sullivan, Kennedy Snyder and Maggie Darrah, which factored into the teams' performance against the Blue Bombers.

"We won without them in Canton, so we should be able to do it again, but we do miss those three," Saranac Lake head coach Erin Biek said. "Not having two first-liners and a second-line center in there makes a difference."

Fortunately for Saranac Lake, all three players are expected to return to the lineup soon.

In a game that saw Lake Placid hold a 30-7 advantage in shots on goal, Manning put her team on the board first with a goal 4:04 into the game. She scored off a feed from Sam Barney, and Godin followed with her first of the contest and the season at the 8:50 mark of the period to send the Bombers into the first intermission on top 2-0.

After a scoreless second period, Sam Barney all but put the game away on a goal 4:04 into the second period that put Lake Placid in command with a 3-0 edge. The Blue Bombers netted their final two tallies late in the game, with Manning scoring at the 13:20 mark and Godin finding the back of the net with 54 seconds left on the clock.

Sophomore goaltender Katey Snyder made 25 stops in net for the Red Storm.

The Blue Bombers next face their biggest test to date when they take on unbeaten Beekmantown on the road Saturday.

"We had a good first and third period, but we weren't as strong as we should have been in the second," Huber said. "But it was good to see our girls pick it up in the third. I think a big difference between this year's team and the past few years is when our girls have a tough stretch in a game, they are able to recover. They did it tonight. We really turned it up."

Saranac Lake, which dropped to 1-5-2, will also face Beekmantown in its next matchup, which will be home at the Saranac Lake Civic Center on Jan. 2.

CANTON - Senior co-captains led way Wednesday as Sydney Battistoni netted a hat trick and Jordy McDougall notched a power-play goal late in overtime to lift Saranac Lake to a 6-5 victory over Canton.

Kate Stevens and Ashley Roddy also added single goals for Saranac Lake, and Katey Snyder recorded 26 saves to earn the win in net.

The teams each scored once in the opening period, and Saranac Lake then appeared to take over in the second, outscoring the Golden Bears 4-2 in the period to gain a 5-3 edge. But Canton rallied with two goals early in the third to force overtime, where McDougall's goal with 14 seconds to go won it for the Red Storm.